The present invention generally pertains to removable handle and tongue assembly. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a removable handle and tongue assembly for manually moving and positioning a towed vehicle such as a utility cart or trailer.
It is common to attach a towed vehicle such as a trailer to a towing vehicle by use of a rigid member with an articulating connection at the points of attachment to the vehicles. Many methods are used for making the attachment. For example, heavy trailers are often connected with the pintle arrangement discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,585. Lighter trailers for highway use are often connected with a ball and hitch apparatus as shown U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,224.
For still lighter towed vehicles, however, the connection is often simpler. Light utility trailers for off-highway use, such as a trailer for a garden tractor for example, are often connected with a simple pin connection. For instance, the pin connection can take the form of a rigid tongue member connected at one end to the towed vehicle and having a hitch consisting of a clevis at the other end. The clevis has a hole or aperture through each branch of the clevis. The towing vehicle is provided with a projecting tab at its rear side also having a hole or aperture through it. When the clevis end of the tongue is mated with the tab projecting from the towing vehicle, the holes can be aligned and a pin inserted to couple the two vehicles together.
Tight maneuvering, especially backing, of a towed vehicle while connected to the towing vehicle is often difficult. Also, it is sometimes desirable to move a towed vehicle in places where the towing vehicle cannot go. Accordingly, it is sometimes necessary to manually pull and maneuver a towed vehicle. The apparatus used for connecting the tongue of the towed vehicle to the towing vehicle, however, is normally not conducive to gripping with the human hand. For that reason, various apparatus have been designed over time to provide detachable handles for use with a tongue of a towed vehicle.
For pintle towed trailers, the handle described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,585 attaches to the pintle ring, allowing two persons to lift the tongue and maneuver the trailer. This device, however, is suitable only for pintle type connections.
For lighter trailers using a ball and hitch, the handle of U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,224 can be attached to the tongue member, allowing one or two persons to lift and maneuver the trailer. The spring-loaded, twist-locking arrangement of this apparatus, however, requires the tongue member to have a somewhat large cross-section to accommodate the apparatus. Towed vehicles light enough to use a pin-connection type hitch generally do not use a tongue having a large cross section. Accordingly, such a handle is usually not suitable for use with a lighter towed vehicle.
What is needed is an easily detachable handle that can be used with the tongue of a towed vehicle, where the towed vehicle has a tongue with a pin-connection type hitch.
The present invention addresses the need for a handle that is easily and removably attachable to the pin-connection hitch on the tongue of a towed vehicle allowing for manual movement and maneuvering of the towed vehicle. In the invention, a handle is provided that has a portion designed to be easily grippable with a human hand. The handle also has an attachment portion that is configured so as to be attachable with a pin to the pin-connection hitch on the tongue of the towed vehicle.
As will be appreciated, the invention can be used with any type of towed vehicle having a tongue assembly with a pin-connected hitch. Thus, the invention can be used on wheeled trailers and carts, but also can be used for non-wheeled vehicles such as sleds and travois.
Accordingly, it is an object and advantage of the invention to provide an easily detachable handle for use with the tongue of a towed vehicle allowing the vehicle to be manually moved and maneuvered.
It is another object and advantage of the invention to provide a handle that can be used by a single person to manually move a towed vehicle using only one hand.
It is another object and advantage of the invention to provide a handle assembly that minimizes potential pinch points where portions of a person""s body or clothing can become caught, thereby preventing injury and reducing the potential for damage to the user""s clothing.
Usually, a pin-connection hitch consists of either a single member with an aperture or hole formed through it, or a clevis arrangement with holes formed through each branch of the clevis. The present invention encompasses embodiments directed toward accommodating either configuration.
In one embodiment, the tongue member is a hollow tube having an open end that forms a recess. The attachment portion of the handle is made in a size allowing it to be inserted into the recess. Holes or apertures formed through the tongue and the attachment portion of the handle are aligned and a pin is inserted through the holes to couple the handle to the tongue.
In another similar embodiment, the attachment portion of the handle has the recess, and is made to receive the end of the tongue. Again, holes or apertures formed through the tongue and the attachment portion of the handle are aligned and a pin is inserted through the holes to couple the handle to the tongue.
In another embodiment the tongue end and the attachment portion of the handle are disposed adjacent to each other. Once again, holes or apertures formed through the tongue and the attachment portion of the handle are aligned and a pin is inserted through the holes to couple the handle to the tongue.
In yet another embodiment, the tongue end has a clevis, with each of the clevis branches having a hole or aperture. The attachment portion of the handle also has a hole or aperture and is adapted to fit between the branches of the clevis. The attaching pin is inserted through the clevis holes and the hole in the attachment portion.
In yet another embodiment, the attachment portion of the handle has a clevis with holes through the clevis branches. The tongue end also has a hole and is adapted to fit between the clevis branches. Again, the attaching pin is inserted through the clevis holes and the hole in tongue end.
In yet another embodiment, both the attachment portion of the handle and the tongue end have a clevis, and the clevis branches have holes or apertures. The clevis at the attachment end of the handle can be adapted to fit between the clevis branches of the tongue or vice versa. In either configuration, the attaching pin is inserted through all the clevis holes, coupling the two parts together.
In a currently most preferred embodiment, both the attachment portion of the handle and the tongue end have a clevis. The tongue clevis is further provided with end walls that, in conjunction with the clevis branches, form a recess into which the handle clevis fits snugly. The end walls act to restrain the connection from pivoting about the attaching pin.
In any of the embodiments, the attaching pin can take a variety of forms. In one embodiment, a cylindrical pin is used is in conjunction with round holes or apertures in the attachment portion of the handle and the tongue. As will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art, however, any shape pin and corresponding apertures can be used. For example, a pin with a square cross-section could be used with corresponding square holes. Such an arrangement would have the attribute of restricting the rotation of the connection about the axis of the pin.
It is preferred that there be means provided for retaining the pin in place so as to prevent uncoupling of the connection at undesired times. In one preferred embodiment, the pin is provided with a head at one end larger than the holes through the handle and tongue. At the other end of the pin, a hole is provided that extends transversely through the pin. A cotter pin is inserted through the hole, and the pin is thereby retained in place by the head at one end and the cotter pin at the other. In another preferred embodiment, the pin is a common threaded hex-head bolt with a nut. A bolt is selected having a head larger than the handle and tongue holes. The bolt is inserted through the handle and tongue holes and the nut is installed, thereby retaining the pin in place.
It will also be appreciated that other alternative attaching pin arrangements are in the scope of the present invention, including arrangements of multiple pins. In one such alternative embodiment, the attachment portion of the handle and the tongue end each have a clevis. The tongue clevis is further provided with end walls that, in conjunction with the clevis branches, form a recess into which the handle clevis fits snugly. Aligning attachment holes are provided in each clevis branch, and an attachment pin is provided for each pair of holes to couple the handle to the tongue.
The attaching pins can take the form of threaded fasteners that can be threaded into threads formed in the holes. In an alternative arrangement, however, the pins can be disposed inside the handle portion and spring-loaded, with the ends of the pins projecting through the holes in the attachment portion of the handle. The handle and tongue can be coupled by compressing the pins into the handle, inserting the attachment portion of the handle into the tongue recess and aligning the handle attaching holes with the tongue attaching holes. Once in place, the pins can be released, allowing the pins to project through the holes, coupling the parts together.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.